Ferrari, McLaren and Lamborghini unleash supercars at Geneva Motor Show

John McCormick / Special to The Detroit News

Posted:
03/06/2013 12:05:19 AM MST

Geneva, Switzerland -- The world debuts of a trio of million-dollar-plus supercars at the Geneva Motor Show were set against a European market still mired in recession and rife with money-losing automakers.

Ferrari, McLaren and Lamborghini each unveiled their most powerful and expensive models to date. Most extreme was the Lamborghini Veneno, packing 750-hp and a 220mph top speed. Three Venenos will be built and all have been pre-sold at close to $4 million per copy.

Ferrari's LaFerrari, the 950-hp successor to the company's vaunted Enzo supercar, weighed in at $1.4 million. Ferrari's president, Luca di Montezemolo, said 499 LaFerraris will be produced but the company already has 750 serious prospective buyers.

It is a similar story at British supercar maker, McLaren, whose new 903 hp P1 model costs $1.3 million and will be limited to 375 units.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen, one of the few major automakers not gushing red ink, balanced the excess of its Lamborghini subsidiary with a fuel-sipping concept called the XL1. A plug-in hybrid, the diesel-engined XL1 is capable of 314 mpg. VW says the XL1 will go into production.

VW also introduced the latest variants of its seventh generation Golf compact hatchback, which goes on sale in the U.S. in 2014. The sporty GTI version, diesel-powered GTD edition and a wagon model all debuted in Geneva, the latter with the help of Felix Baumgartner, the dare devil Austrian who set a record for sky diving from a capsule on the edge of space last year.

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An icon among sports car enthusiasts, the latest version of the long-lived GTI nameplate comes in two versions, with 217 or 227 hp and a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed DSG automatic transmissions.

Fiat's Alfa Romeo division staged the world debut of its 4C two-seat sports car, upon which the company will base it return to various markets, including the U.S.

"This car is a turning point for one of the world's best known and loved brands," said Alfa CEO Harald Wester.

At $80,000, the Alfa 4C will compete in the premium segment in the U.S., butting heads with models such as the Porsche Cayman. Though it produces a relatively modest 240-hp from a 1750cc four-cylinder engine, the 4C is unusually lightweight at less than 2,000 pounds, so its performance is impressive: 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.

The 4C will make its U.S. debut at the Los Angeles auto show this November, and Alfa says the first cars will be in American customers' hands by the end of the year.

GM's Opel division, struggling financially, put a positive spin on its outlook as its supervisory board chairman Steve Girsky and newly appointed management board chairman, Karl-Thomas Neumann, presented a series of new models.

"We have new leadership and excitement building around our brand," said Girsky, pointing to 90,000 orders for Opel's recently launched Mokka compact SUV and 30,000 orders for the Adam sub-compact.

"I want to steer Opel back to its former glory," added Neumann.

Opel now has a 10-year recovery plan, dubbed "Drive 2022," which will build on "the strongest product portfolio we have ever had," said Neumann.

Among those products is the Cascada, a four-seat soft-top convertible unveiled in Geneva. The top takes just 17 seconds to lower and can be operated at up to 30 mph.

"The Cascada is the only mid-size convertible available from a mainstream automaker," noted Neumann.

The cleanest diesel engine yet made by Opel was introduced in Geneva and appears first in the Zafira seven-seater compact crossover. The 136-hp, four-cylinder engine returns 57 mpg.

Opel also took the covers off a new concept version of its Adam mini-car called Adam Rocks.

"This urban mini-crossover study could establish a new segment," said Neumann.

Other significant new entries revealed in Geneva included the 3 Series GT from BMW, Bentley's new Flying Spur, Ford Ecosport compact SUV and Toyota FT-86 convertible concept.